Shoe tree with article basket

ABSTRACT

An article basket attached to the toe section of a shoe tree by a suitable means which allows the basket to be folded into and removed from the cavity of the toe section. Complementary fastening means releasably locks the basket inside the toe section.

1.1 United Stat 1: M11 1 1 [111 3,772,722

Gellert Nov. 20, 1973 SHOE TREE WITH ARTICLE BASKET [56] References Cited [75] Inventor: Jobst Ulrich Geiiert, Toronto 19, UNITED STATES PATENTS Oman", Canada 2,460,405 2/1949 Abrams etal 12/128 B A H 2,510,315 6/1950 Malberg 12/128 B [73] Sslgnee EL? Products Corpommn Flmt 1,525,614 2/1925 Leahey 12/116.6 2,436,313 2/1948 Lesavoy 12/116.6 [22] Filed: Aug. 10, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 279,699 Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson Att0mey-George H. Riches et a1. Reimtui 1.1.5. Application Data [63] fgyztinuauon-m-part of Ser. No. 232,131, March 6, ABSTRACT An article basket attached to the toe section of a shoe [52] US. C1. 12/1158, 12/128 B tree by a suitable means which allOW th basket 10 be [51] Int. Cl A4311 5/00 folded into and removed from the cavity of the toe [58] Field 01 Search 12/ 128 R, 128 B, ection, Complementary fastening means releasably locks the basket inside the toe section.

6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures SHOE TREE WITH ARTICLE BASKET CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 232,13l filed Mar. 6, 1972.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Insofar as I am aware, no one has heretofore proposed a one-piece shoe tree in which a basket is formed integrally with the toe section and hinged thereto by means of a flexible membrane or releasably secured by complemental catch means made of the same material as the toe section and basket, namely polypropylene. One type of shoe tree which is suitable for use with this invention is disclosed and described in U. S. Pat. No- 3,251,083 granted to Donald W. Bay on l \fl ay L7 OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is to provide a shoe tree with a deodorant basket which can be easily refilled and secured in the cavity of the toe section for the purpose of deodorizing shoes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The embodiments of the invention will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of the underside of the shoe tree with the basket inside the cavity;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation showing the basket extended outwardly in front of the toe section;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross section on the line 3-3 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross section on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the underside of the shoe tree on the line 7-7; and

FIG. 7 is a side view showing the basket secured in the cavity by two catching means.

The shoe tree illustrated in the drawings comprises a toe section 10, an end section 11 connected to the upper rear edge of the toe section, a perforate basket 12 connected to the front edge 18 of the toe piece by a flexible hinge 13. The basket is also provided with an outwardly extending flange 14 which is formed with an aperture 15 in which is engaged a latch 16 formed on the underside of the end section adjacent the rear edge of the toe section. The latch 16 is provided with a hook 17 so that it will engage, and grip in the edge of the aperture 15. All of the foregoing parts are molded in one piece from polypropylene. The toe section is concavoconvex in shape to fit into the toe of a shoe and is formed with apertures 20. The concave-convex shape provides a cavity 19 which houses the basket when it is folded into position. The article contained in the basket is indicated at 29.

One use of the device is described in the following manner. To fill the basket, it is swung out to the position shown in FIG. 2. It is then swung to the position shown in detail in FIGS. I and 2. The deodorant will be dissipated throughout the entire inside of the shoe and thus will deodorize it.

Another use of the device as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and '7 comprises a toe section 10, an end section 11 connected to the upper rear edge of the toe section, and a perforate basket 12, both of which are similar to shoe tree and basket illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. In the structure illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 the basket is removably mounted in cavity 19 and releasably connected to the toe section by two pairs of complemental catch means 23,24, the catch means 23 being associated with the front end 22 of toe section and front end of the basket, and the catch means 24 being associated with the back ends of toe section and the basket. The foregoing parts are molded from polypropylene and thus are resilient. The toe section is concavoconvex in shape and is formed with apertures 20 and the cavity 19 which houses the basket. An article, such as a deodorant or a scent is indicated at 29.

The complemental catch means may be constructed in various ways but it is preferred to form the parts for each complemental catch means molded integrally with a particular part with which it is associated. As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 the complemental catch means 23 consists of flange 25 on the front end of the basket, the flange 25 fitting into flange receiving groove 26 formed on the inside of the front edge of the front end of the toe piece. The other complemental catch means 24 consists of a latch device 27 projecting downwardly from the inside of the toe section adjacent the back edge thereof, which latch device engages with an outwardly projecting lip 28 on the top rear edge of the basket. I

In this construction, the basket is mounted inside the cavity by inserting the flange 25 into groove 26 and then pressing the lip 28 upwardly until it is engaged by the latch device 27. To remove the basket the latch device 27 is released from the lip 28.

What is claimed is:

1. In a plastic molded shoe tree having-.1 concavoconvex toe section of a shape to fit into the toe of a shoe, said toe section having a front end, an upper rearward edge, a downwardly facing cavity and an end section connected to the upper rearward edge of the toe section, a device consisting of a perforated article basket and a flexible plastic hinge permanently connecting the basket to the front edge for swinging from a position inside the cavity to a position extending outwardly from the front end and complementary catch means on the toe piece and the holder for releasably retaining the basket in the cavity.

2. The device according to claim 1 in which the complementary catch means consists of a latch and slot arrangement, one of which is carried by the basket and the other carried by the toe section.

3. The device according to claim 1 in which the complementary catch means comprises an apertured flange extending outwardly from the basket edge opposite said hinge and a latch having a hook engageable in the aperture in said flange, said hook engaging the edge of the aperture.

4. In a plastic molded shoe tree having a concaveconvex toe section of a shape to fit into the toe of a shoe, said toe section having a front end, an upper rearward edge, a downwardly facing cavity and an end section connected to the upper rearward edge of the toe section, a device consisting of a perforated article basket and two pairs of complemental releasable catch means, one pair of the complemental catch means being on the front end of the basket and on the underside of the front edge of the toe piece respectively, and the other pair of the complemental catch means being on the back edge of the basket and the underside of the toe piece adjacent thereto.

5. The device according to claim 4 in which said catch means on the back edge of the basket and the underside of the toe piece adjacent thereto comprises a fastening device on the underside of the toe piece and catch means on the front end of the basket and on the underside of the front edge of the toe piece comprises a tongue receiving recess on the front edge of the toe piece and a tongue protruding from the front end of the a flange on the basket, engaged by the fastening device. 5 basket, said tongue being enterable in the recess.

6. The device according to claim 4 in which said 

1. In a plastic molded shoe tree having a concavo-convex toe section of a shape to fit into the toe of a shoe, said toe section having a front end, an upper rearward edge, a downwardly facing cavity and an end section connected to the upper rearward edge of the toe section, a device consisting of a perforated article basket and a flexible plastic hinge permanently connecting the basket to the front edge for swinging from a position inside the cavity to a position extending outwardly from the front end and complementary catch means on the toe piece and the holder for releasably retaining the basket in the cavity.
 2. The device according to claim 1 in which the complementary catch means consists of a latch and slot arrangement, one of which is carried by the basket and the other carried by the toe section.
 3. The device according to claim 1 in which the complementary catch means comprises an apertured flange extending outwardly from the basket edge opposite said hinge and a latch having a hook engageable in the aperture in said flange, said hook engaging the edge of the aperture.
 4. In a plastic molded shoe tree having a concavo-convex toe section of a shape to fit into the toe of a shoe, said toe section having a front end, an upper rearward edge, a downwardly facing cavity and an end section connected to the upper rearward edge of the toe section, a device consisting of a perforated article basket and two pairs of complemental releasable catch means, one pair of the complemental catch means being on the front end of the basket and on the underside of the front edge of the toe piece respectively, and the other pair of the complemental catch means being on the back edge of the basket and the underside of the toe piece adjacent thereto.
 5. The device according to claim 4 in which said catch means on the back edge of the basket and the underside of the toe piece adjacent thereto comprises a fastening device on the underside of the toe piece and a flange on the basket, engaged by the fastening device.
 6. The device according to claim 4 in which said catch means on the front end of the basket and on the underside of the front edge of the toe piece comprises a tongue receiving recess on the front edge of the toe piece and a tongue protruding from the front end of the basket, said tongue being enterable in the recess. 